Reading 6 (Doyle 5, 9, 62, Bikey 30, N Hunt 50, 64)
Sheff Wed 0

A rampant Reading side maintained their 100% home record with a thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday at Madejski Stadium.

Kevin Doyle started the demolition job with two goals in the opening ten minutes, firstly tapping home Noel Hunt's cross and then firing into the net after a defensive mix-up.

Wednesday's defence was looking wide open with every attack, and Andre Bikey, in for illness victim Ivar Ingimarsson, made it three with a towering header from Stephen Hunt's free kick.

Noel Hunt brought a very good save from Lee Grant with a header before the break, and added the fourth goal early in the second half by running onto Doyle's flick-on and slotting home.

With just over an hour played Doyle completed his hat-trick with a memorable goal, culminating a flowing move with a brilliant turn and right footed drive that gave Grant no chance.

And amazingly within seconds of the restart it was six - with his first touch substitute Bobby Convey sped down the left and supplied Noel Hunt with a pinpoint cross for the striker to stroke home his second.

The only question was how many Reading would score, and Karacan and Kebe went close before substitute Shane Long hit the crossbar with a glancing header.

The closing 20 minutes were played out with ease, leaving the Royals to celebrate to joint-biggest victory in Madejski Stadium's ten year history on an incredible evening.

Reading: Hahnemann; Rosenior, Armstrong, Bikey, Pearce; Karacan, Harper (c), Kebe, S Hunt (Convey 62); Doyle (Long 62), N Hunt (Kelly 78)
Subs: Federici, Sodje

Sheff Wed: Grant; McMahon, Gilbert, Spurr, Wood (c), O'Connor, McAllister (Smith 62), Esajas (Small 55), Tudgay, Johnson, Burton (Jeffers 69)
Subs: O'Donnell, Clarke.
Booked: Gilbert (foul 52)

Ref: K Woolmer

Att: 18,159

Full report
The Royals went ahead with a goal of utmost simplicity after five minutes. Jimmy Kebe's clever backheel caused two defenders to get in each other's way and give Liam Rosenior space on the right. The full back fed Noel Hunt, who in turn had plenty of time to tee up Kevin Doyle for a simple tap-in.

Wednesday immediately had a chance to equalise when Deon Burton's throughball beat the offside trap to give Jermaine Johnson a clear run on goal, but the Jamaican international dwelt on the ball and Marcus Hahnemann raced off his line to smother.

The next attack saw Reading double the lead with a goal that bore similarities to the opener. Kebe was again the instigator, beating a man with great skill and playing a one-two with Doyle on the area's very edge. Again Wednesday should have cleared it, but another mix-up presented the ball to Doyle who gleefully fired home into the roof of the net via a deflection.

It was an extremely open game, with the Royals looking capable of creating chances every time they had possession against an extremely porous Wednesday defence.

After half an hour it was three - Noel Hunt was fouled 40 yards from goal and his brother Stephen delivered an inswinging free kick straight onto the head of Andre Bikey on the penalty spot, allowing the Cameroonian to mark his first start of the season with a thumping header into the top left corner.

Wednesday came close to reducing the deficit when Johnson progressed down the right and delivered a dangerous cross that was half-cleared to Burton, whose fierce 15 yard drive seemed destined for the net until Hahnemann dived athletically to his right to make a superb parry.

Noel Hunt came agonisingly close to his first Reading league goal with five minutes of the half remaining, lurking at the far post to meet his sibling's inswinging corner with a downward header that Wednesday keeper Lee Grant turned sharply around the post.

Hahnemann comfortably saved tame efforts from Richard Wood and Etienne Esajas before the break, allowing Reading to enjoy the interval with a 3-0 lead safely under their belts.

Second half
Noel Hunt scored the goal that he had been threatening early in the second half to make it four - Doyle flicked on Hahnemann's long kick and Hunt simply ran clear of the visiting defence to slot a low shot under the advancing Grant; simple and deadly.

The Owls were looking well beaten as Reading oozed confidence, and Steve Coppell's team made it five with a memorable goal following a wonderful passing move just after the hour mark.

Countless players were involved in a patient build-up, culminating in Chris Armstrong feeding Doyle from the left flank, and the Irish ace completing his second successive home hat trick by turning away from his marker and slamming an unstoppable shot into the near post from 18 yards.

Doyle and Stephen Hunt were both promptly replaced and given standing ovations following outstanding performances - and within a minute it was six.

Immediately from the restart sub Bobby Convey took advantage of more disastrous defending to charge down the left and play inside a cute ball to Noel Hunt, who stroked a low shot inside the right corner with consummate ease.

It was an electrifying passage of play, and another goal nearly followed ten minutes later when Convey's left wing cross was met by Karacan's well-timed run and expertly placed header that Grant kept out with a superb save low to his right.

The resulting corner resulted in a melee inside the box with Hunt and Pearce both looking for space to shoot until the ball dropped kindly for Kebe, but the Malian couldn't keep his angled shot down and it flew over the bar.

Sub Shane Long was the next to threaten the Wednesday goal, running onto Hunt's flighted right wing cross to rise beautifully and send a glancing header past the stranded Grant, but the crossbar came to the Owls' rescue.

Wednesday were offering little more than a token resistance, but made a rare excursion into Hahnemann's penalty area when Marcus Tudgay ran onto Francis Jeffers' lay-off and fire towards goal, but Alex Pearce tracked back well to deflect it wide.